Sadie paused in slicing the lemons. “How old were you when your dad left?”
“Eight.”
Avery’s age. “What about your mom?”
Elle looked down at the bread like it was the most interesting thing in the room. “She left when I was five because her new boyfriend wasn’t so into kids. I think my dad tried to do the single-parent thing for a while, but he just couldn’t handle me on his own.”
“Oh, Elle. I’m sorry.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I have Aunt Jewel. I also had…”
When she paused, Sadie frowned. “You had someone else?”
“Jace, actually. Eastern’s youngest brother.”
“You were friends?”
“He was my best friend. Until he left for the military, that is. I swear I spent more time at his house than anywhere else.”
“But you didn’t stay friends?”
“He left and we…lost contact.”
There was a story there, and Sadie wanted to ask a million more questions. Best friends often kept in contact when one of them moved away, so why hadn’t they? And he’d had to have returned to Misty Peak occasionally during all the years he’d been away. Had they never seen each other?
So many questions rolled around in her head, but she didn’t ask a single one of them. If Elle wanted to talk about it, she would.
Sadie’s phone vibrated on the counter, and she looked down to see a text message.
Eastern: Sorry to interrupt your girls’ evening, but I was wondering if you’d take pity on me and pick up Avery from school tomorrow while I’m at work? This might also be a ploy for me to see you tomorrow afternoon.
Her lips twitched and before she could respond, a second message popped up.
Eastern: Also, I miss you.
Wasn’t he a charmer.
Sadie: Of course I can. I’ll go straight from Sugar and Spice to get Avery.
Sadie: And I miss you too.
Elle sighed. “See, I wantthat.”
Sadie lowered the phone and grabbed the orange bitters. “Maybe you’ll get it soon.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, right. My dating life is about as dead as the salmon I ate for lunch. I’ve tried some online dating sites, but the guys are just…”
“Not good?”
“Ha. That’s an understatement. One guy actually had the balls to get angry at me for yawning during a date.”
“No.”
“Yes. He then put two beers in front of me to ‘perk me up.’ When I said I was calling it a night, he made a remark about me getting him to give up a Saturday night for such a short date.”
“What an ass! I’m guessing you didn’t see him again?”
“Nope. But he did text me over and over again for days, and when I didn’t respond, his final message called me a rude bitch who’d ghosted him for no reason.”
